This title is a facsimile reprint of an 1866 book. The original book is the only known copy of the first cookbook authored by an African American. Malinda Russell, the author, was born a free woman of color.

Why aren’t the recipes for this book available on ckbk?

This book has been licensed, and will soon be available on ckbk. New books are converted and uploaded each month.

Books which are part of ckbk's collection show one of these two logos:

now available on ckbk
coming soon to ckbk

Recommended by

Janice Longone

Culinary historian

A rare item, only one copy known, by an African-American woman. She was a free woman of color and because of her Union sympathies, had to flee the South during the Civil War. She moved to Michigan and planned to return to the South to redeem her property. She was an indomitable spirit: her story is an African-American one and an American one. There is a modern facsimile.

Adrian Miller

Food writer

Recently rescued from obscurity, it is believed to be the earliest known cookbook written by an African American.